


Persona: Promises

by methetyo



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:40:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25592929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methetyo/pseuds/methetyo
Summary: "Keep your head up, okay little sister?""Okay. I promise."AU where Minato and Naoto are siblings. Complete!
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	1. Reflections and Responsibility

_It's already been nine years, huh?_

Minato sat, reflecting on the past while pondering what to spend the rest of his afternoon doing.

It had been nine years since he and his sister lost their parents to a car crash in Iwatodai. It didn't take long before their grandfather took them in, much to both of their relief.

Soon after, he began to teach them both the ways of being a detective.

_After all, the Shirogane family are a famous line of detectives… suppose it's no surprise that someone needs to pick up where Mom and Dad left off._

Minato had taken to it quickly, having naturally been attracted to the prospect of being a detective. However, it was his sister Naoto who turned out to be the true prodigy. And when time came to decide the heir to the Shirogane name, he knew who would have his vote.

_She has far more passion than I do for it, anyhow._

Despite being only thirteen years old, their grandfather had already let Naoto begin looking over cases. And if Minato had to hazard a guess as to where she was at the moment, it was probably badgering grandfather to give her another.

_Well, it's as good a time as any to go find her._ The blue-haired sixteen year old said as he took in the calmness of the late summer day, before he got up from his spot on the front porch of the Shirogane estate.

It wouldn't take long, as soon she would come running out of the house to tell her brother the good news.

Minato had a feeling he knew what she had to say, much to his inward amusement.

"Brother!" Naoto yelled as she ran, a rare thing to hear out of the normally level headed girl. "Grandfather is letting me handle a case!"

"Really now? That's great Naoto!" Minato said with excitement in his voice. What he wouldn't tell her is that he'd been talking with their grandfather in private about this for a decent amount of time now. He knew it was but an inevitability at this point.

"What kind of case will grandfather be taking you on?"

"He doesn't quite know yet, actually. I think it will be the next one he thinks I can handle." Naoto made a face that clearly communicated her feelings on the subject.

Minato chuckled. "He just doesn't know what you're capable of yet, little sister. You'll blow him out of the water with how quickly you'll get to the bottom of this one."

Naoto visibly brightened at those words, giving her brother a beaming grin before going off to discuss the details with their grandfather.

"Now," Minato said to himself, "That still leaves me with the problem of what to do…"

* * *

It had been a week since Naoto and their grandfather had left, and Minato was tinkering with a pocket watch that recently broke on him as the summer days began to turn to autumn.

Minato's educated guess was that they were working on some sort of theft case. Grandfather probably wouldn't put her on something too small, he was known to like to test each of them, so a group of delinquents robbing the elderly sounded right on the mark for a first case.

However, this left him with his own problem. The high school he had been attending up to now had to close its doors. Luckily, Minato had been ahead enough on work to earn a passing grade for his first year. But now he needed to look for a new school, and that very well might've meant moving into a dormitory away from home.

He wasn't so worried about himself as he was worried about Naoto. Most likely unwarranted, but she had a tendency to rely on her brother from time to time. They'd never lived apart, especially not after losing their parents.

_What will be, will be I suppose. Maybe Naoto will bring home some better news._

* * *

Naoto would not bring home better news.

She entered the house in the evening, vastly outpacing her grandfather as she marched up to her brother's room.

Not bothering to knock, she swung the door open with much more force than she had previously anticipated.

Minato spun around from his desk in genuine surprise as he removed his attention from his watch.

"Could use a little more warning next time, Naoto…" he said with some slight humor in his voice.

The humor quickly left him when he got around to facing her. She had torn her way through the house frustrated and upset, fuming with anger, but even the small bit of Minato's usual snark brought her back into reality.

She was sure that she looked as if she was going to cry.

Minato moved to embrace his sister, already knowing what was on her mind.

"I take it the case didn't go very well?"

"Of course not. Even with grandfather's support and the weight of our name, I was treated as inferior for being a child. I was told that a little girl couldn't possibly do what the police can't."

As she returned his embrace, she began to cry in frustration. She did not believe that things would be this bad in her first case, and all it did was discourage her from trying to continue.

"But you proved them wrong. Didn't you, little sister?"

"If by that you mean I solved the case, then of course I did. But I don't think that will do anything to help."

Minato frowned before peeling her off of him to look her in the eyes.

"But that's exactly why you need to keep on going. If you build up a reputation for yourself, it will set a precedent."

The look in Naoto's eyes clearly showed that she was too caught up in what she considered a failure to believe him.

"I don't understand why you're so keen on helping me when you could be out there doing the same thing I am with less problems. You bear our family name as well, why haven't you tried to pursue it?"

Minato stopped, asking himself if this was the right time to tell her about his decision considering the situation of the heir to the family name.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any, he proceeded.

"Well, Naoto, that's because I think that you should be the one to inherit the family business."

Naoto looked stunned, but he carried on before she could object.

"It's clear that out of the two of us, you're the prodigy when it comes to being a detective. You've got more drive for it than I do either. However, if you're going to reach your full potential and honor the family business, you need to keep your head up through times like these. Hardship can only forge you into a better person. Promise me, okay?"

Naoto took more than a few moments to process all of that. And, clearly seeing that her brother wasn't going to take no for an answer, she mustered up the resolve to give him a strong answer.

"...Okay. I promise."

* * *

Snow was falling on the day that Minato decided what school he would be heading to. Whether it was some strange twist of fate or just coincidence, Minato Shirogane (or Minato Arisato as he would come to be known as) would be returning to the city where he lost his parents a decade ago to finish his schooling at Gekkoukan High.

As the day drew closer, and more and more of his room would be packed up and shipped out, he spent his time with his sister. Giving her tips and advice on her cases and how to deal with her… sometimes problematic coworkers.

Until the day in early April of 2009 when he would set off for his new school life. His parting with his family home and sister would be hard, but something within the city of Iwatodai called to him.

So, as he stood on the platform waiting for the train, Naoto only asked one thing of him.

"Don't forget to keep in touch, okay?"

Author's Note: hi! this is my first story, so apologies if it seems very beginner-ish! updates will come out as fast as i can write them. until then, thank you for reading!


	2. Secrets and Sentiments

_When I said "keep in touch", I'd intended to hear from him within the next month at least._

Naoto was hunched over her desk reviewing the files for yet another case. Now that she had a few under her belt, she was indeed building a reputation like her brother had said. And while things haven't gotten easier per se, she always had something new to work on at least.

If there was any day that she'd expect a call from Minato, it would definitely be today. She just hoped that he hadn't forgotten.

As her worries began to get the best of her, she finally heard her phone ring.

Picking it up and quickly bringing it up to her ear, she had some choice words for him.

"Y'know, when I said 'make sure to keep in touch' I had expected maybe, oh I don't know, a call letting me know that you'd arrived safely? You've got no idea how worried I was when I heard about a train accident the night you got into Iwatodai."

She made sure to speak her mind before hearing his excuse, and it made her very smug when she could practically hear him cringing on the other line.

_"I'm sorry about that, Naoto. Turns out I forgot to charge my phone and it died as soon as I stepped off of the train!"_

"Oh sure, brother. That may excuse that night but how about the 3 weeks after that?"

He paused. That sent red flags up in Naoto's mind immediately.

_"Well…"_

"Is there something you can't tell me?" Naoto asked, worried.

_I had only intended to tease him about forgetting, but he has a reason that he can't even tell me? What could possibly be going on over in Port Island?_

_"It's not that, Naoto. School just picked up quickly, then I was knocked on my ass with a nasty cold for a week."_

This time the pause was on her end. She chose her words carefully before continuing.

"You always were bad at lying to me. Is any of that really true?" Naoto asked him, hurt lining her quiet tone.

_"None of it is technically a lie, just not the whole truth. I'm withholding information for your own good, little sister."_

This time, she could tell he was being completely sincere. Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere like this, Naoto tried to strike a deal.

"Okay, Minato. I understand. However, I have a few questions. Will you answer them if you can?"

_"But of course! Let's hear 'em."_

Naoto chose 3 specific questions that she believed would grant her the most information. Those were:

"First: will you allow me to launch my own investigation to try and find out what's going on myself?"

_"As long as it doesn't interfere with your work and doesn't involve you coming to Iwatodai, go for it."_

_That means that whatever it is, it's localized to Port Island. Good to know._

"Second: I don't need to know what you're doing, but please tell me, is it dangerous?"

Another pause.

_"...Yes. But it would be more dangerous if I wasn't doing anything about it."_

_What could it possibly be? Gang violence? I would've heard about it if it was…_

Naoto sighed. "Third and finally: is there a specific reason that you cannot tell me what's going on?"

Naoto could hear her brother chuckle on the other line.

_"Something tells me that even if I did, you'd think I was going mad. The truth really is stranger than fiction, little sister."_

_I'm starting to think you're going mad anyway, dear brother._

* * *

A high school that morphs into a non-euclidean tower in a hidden hour where water becomes blood and eldritch abominations roam free.

Maybe he was going mad.

_Naoto might not understand now, but if I told her what was happening then she would no doubt come running._

_Plus, prodigy or not, I highly doubt my dear sister could figure_ this _mystery out._

Once Minato changed the subject onto Naoto's going ons, the phone call proceeded without another issue.

 _"Grandfather only had me handling cases that_ he _picked out for me at first, but recently I've been given an actual choice on what to work on!"_

This conversation was proving to be a wonderful reprieve from the wild life Minato had been living for the last month.

They continued to talk about various different topics, even touching on some of the colorful characters that he had come to befriend in his day to day life.

_"Are you seriously trying to tell me that you're helping solicit a student/teacher relationship?!"_

"Hey, I never said I was helping! Just that I knew a guy who was _trying_. Hell, if anything, I might the only thing between him and a restraining order from Ms. Kanou…"

As they continued to talk about his growing social life, he made sure to leave out more specific details regarding identity. The last thing he needed was Naoto putting together a rogues' gallery in search of answers.

Eventually, the minutes turned into an hour. And before he knew it, it looked like Minato might run late for a meeting with the Chairman.

As he was bringing things to a close, Naoto had one more thing to say.

_"Brother… I may not approve of you doing dangerous things but if I know you, it must be for a good reason. I will get to the bottom of this eventually, and you'll finally give me some answers."_

"Think of it this way, Naoto. These will make for great stories when you're older. I promise to tell you each and every one someday."

_"...You'd better keep that promise, Minato."_

"When have I ever broken one yet?" He said with obvious mischief in his voice.

He did genuinely want to tell her each and every little detail. He knew she would love it. But it would also put her in danger, and he couldn't possibly bring her into this fight.

Naoto heavily sighed. _"I'll be sure to keep this from grandfather. I'm sure that if you can't tell me, you most definitely can't tell him?"_

Minato smiled. "Most definitely not. The last thing I need is the entire Kuzunoha detective agency getting involved."

He glanced at the clock and realized that he was running time quite short.

"On that note, dear sister, I must take my leave. Important club meeting tonight!"

 _"Is that another one of your half-truths?"_ Naoto said with as much exasperation as she could muster.

"I'll leave that one up to your imagination." Minato said playfully.

 _"...Alright, Minato. I suppose I'll let you go now."_ He could tell she was trying desperately to hide the disappointment in her voice, and he knew exactly why.

Perhaps it was a tad cruel to wait until the last moment, but it made it more dramatic this way.

"Oh, and before I go..."

 _"Yes?"_ Minato's smile widened as he could hear the subdued hope in her voice.

"Happy birthday, Naoto. You know I could never forget about it."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I did not expect to have another chapter written this quickly, but I suppose I'm excited to tell the tale. This is actually the beginning of the format that was the initial inspiration for this fic, and I'm very very excited to be into the thick of it now!

I took a lot of inspiration for this specific AU from the fic Persona: Defiance of Fate by Solid Shark! I'm only in the beginning of the story as I had to put reading on hold to write this, but I highly recommend it! it's what largely inspired the central idea of this fic.

I have no idea when the next chapter will be along, but hopefully soon! until then, thank you for reading!


	3. Confrontations and Confidants

As he opened the front door to the dorm, Minato found himself with something he seldom had as of late: a free evening.

His newest dormmates following close behind him, he stopped to sign the check-in sheet at the front entrance.

"Y'know," Yukari called out to him from the couch, "You're the only one that bothers to sign that thing."

"Yeah, dude! Why do you always sign it when you come in?" Junpei asked, genuinely confused with his actions.

Minato shrugged as he turned towards the friends behind him "I suppose it's just a force of habit at this point."

_ I say friends, but can I really consider a dog that I barely know a friend? _

"Arf!" Koromaru barked happily as Minato bent down to pet him.

"He says that he is happy to have someone to walk with again." Minato's robotic companion translated, much to Minato's surprise.

_ Well, I guess I  _ can _ call him a friend. I still don't understand how Aigis manages to understand him, though. _

_ Oh, well. Perhaps I just need to stop thinking about it. _

"Well, you're welcome Koro-chan. I'll walk you anytime you'd like, unless there's already something I need to do."

Koromaru barked excitedly as Minato stood up and walked towards the staircase.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have a  _ very  _ overdue phone call I need to make."

  
  


Walking into his room, Minato took a moment to unwind from the days events. Enjoying the late summer sunlight that flooded in through his windows, he sat down at his desk, pulled out his phone.

_ She's going to kill me for this. _

A click.  _ "Brother!" _ His sister's voice was laced with an exorbitant amount of happiness and enthusiasm.

"Sister! I can't tell if you're genuinely excited to talk to me or if you're upset."

_ "Honest answer? Both."  _ His sister's voice did an about face, now sounding almost deadpan.

"Okay, in my defense, I have actually been genuinely busy. And I am sorry that it took me almost 4 months to call you. But I don't see you trying to call me!"

A long pause was heard before a heavy sigh.

_ "I suppose I can't argue with that. It's good to hear from you, Minato. It's good to hear that you're  _ safe,  _ if your half-truths are to be believed." _

"I'm sorry if I worried you." He genuinely felt bad. Minato had meant to call her a lot sooner, but between trips to Tartarus, school, his social life, and preparation for full moons, he couldn't find the time.

_ "It's alright brother, I can forgive you this time. But I expect at least an e-mail or something if it's going to take you  _ this  _ long between calls." _

"Now that I can manage! So, what's new in the life of the Detective Prince?" Minato said, clearly teasing his sister.

_ "Ugh. You've heard of that nickname the media has given me?" _

"Of course! Gotta keep up with what my little sister is doing, especially if she starts showing up in the news. However, I do have a question for you."

Naoto sighed.  _ "Alright brother, what is it?" _

Minato had to choose his words carefully, as he didn't want what he was going to say to come off wrong.

"Have you been hiding your real gender while you work?" He knew the answer to his question already, considering the news outlets covering the up and coming detective always referred to  _ her _ as a  _ he _ .

There was a very, very long pause before Naoto answered. If he didn't know her so well, he might have thought she had hung up on him.

_ "...I'm sorry."  _ Naoto said in a small voice.

"I'm not upset with you, sister. I just want to know, why?" Minato asked, concerned.

_ I've got more than a few guesses as to why, but if it continues then it could very well have a lasting negative effect on her. _

_ "It… It's easier to work if they believe me to be a boy. Especially so, now that I'm handling cases without grandfather by my side. He knows, and while he supports me, he isn't exactly approving of it."  _ Naoto spoke softly, as if she was a small child being scolded.

Minato sighed. "Okay, Naoto. Thank you for telling me. Your choices are yours, I just worry that if this continues then it will end up making it harder for you in the future."

_ "I promise that it won't come to that, brother. I just… I need that protection to hide behind for now." _

"...I'll hold you to that, Naoto."

  
  


After the heavier topic had been discussed, the phone call proceeded to be much more light hearted.

"I heard you mention that you're now doing cases on your own?

_ "Yes. After doing a few under grandfather's supervision, he allowed me to work on some by myself if the stations I was to be working under allowed it. That has caused some problems, but fortunately my rapidly growing reputation usually helps with getting approval." _

Minato chuckled. "I told you that building a reputation would help."

_ "Yes, yes, I know. No need to rub it in. What about you? Anymore interesting pieces of evidence that you can offer to my investigation?" _

"And just how is that investigation going for you?"

_ "Honestly, it's been worse than I expected."  _ Naoto said dejectedly.

_ "Assuming that whatever you're doing is localized to Port Island, it can't be anything on police records. Iwatodai is essentially a clean city, I had first assumed it to be some sort of gang threatening the island but there's only small time delinquents on record." _

_ Well, she's right about it being localized to Iwatodai. And it being a threat to the city. _

_ "However,"  _ Naoto continued,  _ "I did find record of a train accident back in May. Somehow, a train ended up nearly colliding with another train in the matter of mere moments. I didn't get the full details, as it seems someone tried to cover it up. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" _

"...What do they have you doing over there that is improving your interrogations skills?"

_ "You're avoiding the question, brother." _

Minato stifled a chuckle. "I was on the train that night. I couldn't tell you what had happened, though. I was asleep for most of the ride."

_ "Is that another one of your half-truths?" _

"That, my dear sister, is up to your imagination."

  
  


_ "You went to Yakushima?!"  _

Minato was amused with his sister's sudden rise in tone. He had been telling her mundane things that had been  _ just  _ enough to give her "clues" for her investigation.

"Mhm, for summer break. Someone in the dorms has family who lives there."

_ "Oh? They do, do they? Good to know…" _

_ Maybe that piece of information was a little too obvious, but it'll give her something to work with at least. _

_ "What other 'exciting' things have been happening in your life?" _

"Well…" Minato took a moment to think about how to phrase his sentence in such a way where they're still  _ technically _ true.

"We got a few new arrivals in the dorm. First was a nice girl who was a little timid at first, but she's come to be a good friend to all of us. Then we got a… let's say  _ eccentric  _ transfer student that moved in. She's a weird one, but endearing in her own way. Let's see… Oh! We got a dog."

_ "Your dorm got a pet? Are you sure that's allowed?" _

"Of course. We checked with the chairman of the school first."

There was a long pause, and Minato had to try his hardest to not laugh when he realized what his sister was thinking about.

"You want to know what kind of dog he is, don't you?"

_ "...Yes." _

  
  


Time passed as they talked and before he knew it, it had been 2 hours.

_ Getting late, maybe I should wrap up here. _

"Well, dear sister, I've got some homework I need to do. Is there anything else you need from me before I hang up?"

_ "Actually, yes. As I was doing research, I discovered that the heiress to the Kirijo Group, Mitsuru Kirijo, goes to your school. Do you happen to know her?" _

_...I need to be careful. If Naoto figures out that the Kirijo Group is involved here, my defense may very well be penetrated. _

"I know  _ of  _ her. She's student counsel president, so she give speeches occasionally. Besides that, no I do not know her personally."

_ "Hm. Well then, I suppose that's all. Thank you for at least answering me." _ Minato could clearly tell that she didn't believe him one bit.

_ That's fine, as long as- _

Minato was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Minato-san? Mitsuru-san wants us all to meet in the command room." Aigis called out.

_ "Did she just say Mitsu-" _

"I'm gonna have to go, Naoto! I'll talk to you later!" Minato said quickly before hanging up.

_ Shit. This doesn't bode well. _

  
  
**Author's Note:** another chapter down! I had the story planned out before I started, but I didn't know exactly how many chapters it will be. I now do! this story will be 7 chapters long, so we're nearly half way done. thank you for reading!


	4. Hopelessness and Heartenings

If there was one state of weather that Minato loved more than anything, it was snow. But as he walked through the snow coated streets of Iwatodai, he couldn't find the ability to just take it in and enjoy it.

_ There's too much to think about to enjoy the snow. _

The last months of the year had left the blue-haired seventeen year old wounded, both physically and mentally. Even after losing a teammate, suffering a betrayal, and fighting some of his toughest battles yet, this year still wasn't done kicking him and his friends while they were down.

And now, he had to choose between leading his team in a futile struggle against death itself or dooming the world as he and his team spend their last days in blissful ignorance.

_ The worst part is that  _ I'm  _ the one that will ultimately make the decision. _

Minato let out a heavy sigh.  _ At this rate, I won't even get to enjoy Christmas. _

As he reached and opened the front doors of the dorm, he began to set his thoughts aside for now.

"Oh, it's you, Minato." A voice said to his right as he entered.

Looking towards the couch, he saw both Fuuka and Akihiko sitting in their usual spots.

_ Everyone else must be in their rooms… I guess I can't particularly blame them. _

"Hey there, Fuuka. Akihiko." Minato tried to sound as normal as possible.

Whether it worked or not, after simple greetings, there was an oppressive silence that fell over the lounge.

After an uncomfortable amount of time, Fuuka broke the silence with a question.

"Have you come to your choice yet, Minato…?" She asked in a quiet, small voice.

Minato didn't see a point in lying to her. "No. I haven't." He answered simply.

"Oh…" Fuuka sounded anxious.

_ Looks like she hasn't either. I can't blame her. It's a hard thing to do, accepting your fate. _

_ Blissful ignorance is looking better by the second. _

"Well, I have. I can't just stand by while the world dies, we've come too far for that." The boxer said, not even looking up from the gloves he was polishing.

_ I wish I could be as sure of that myself, Akihiko. _

"We still have time to think it over. In the meantime, I need to make a phone call." Minato said, headed towards the staircase.

  
  


Naoto was laying in her bed, arms covering her eyes when her phone rang.

The recent case she was working on had been the most stressful one yet and as her brief respite was shattered, she groaned and grabbed the phone and answered it without looking at the ID.

"Shirogane." She said, sounding deadpan and using her professional tone of voice.

_ "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. I was looking for my sister?" _ The man on the other line said playfully.

Naoto sat up, immediately excited.

"Minato!" She exclaimed, her tone of voice shifting back to her natural tone.

_ "Ah, there's my dear sister. How have you been, Naoto?" _

"I could be better." Naoto admitted, "This recent case has been more than a little frustrating."

_ "Keep your head up, detective. You can do this." _ Her brother's support inspired her to continue more than she would admit to him.

"How have you been, brother? I don't hear from you nearly as much as I would like to. I distinctly remember someone agreeing to  _ at least _ send emails every once in a while. "

Minato chuckled weakly.  _ "I'm sorry, Naoto. Things have been…"  _

He paused, seemingly searching for a way to phrase what he was trying to say.

"Can you still not completely tell me what's going on?" Naoto asked, voice full of concern. Normally she would have given him trouble about it, but she could hear the wear that…  _ whatever _ was going on was causing him in his voice.

_ "...I wish I could, Naoto. I really do." _

The way he sounded when he said that scared Naoto. He sounded… broken. Defeated. Like the odds were stacked exponentially against him, and he didn't know how to handle it.

Naoto would never understand just how close she was in that line of thinking.

"Talk to me. Please. Tell me what you can, Minato." She tried to hide the anxiety in her voice. She had never heard him speak like this.

There was a long time before he answered.

_ "I lost a friend back in October. That was the beginning of this." _

_ Lost a friend…? Someone has died because of this "mission" that he's on? _

Naoto knew that whatever he was doing was dangerous and that, whatever it was, the police were keeping themselves out of it.

_ But even after a civilian casualty? _

_ "After that, it's been one bad thing after another. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse…" _

He stopped, taking a shaky breath before continuing.

_ "...I've been backed into a corner. I've been faced with a decision that has no good options, and I don't know what to do." _

"Can you tell me what your options are?" Naoto was looking for any way to help ease the pain her brother was going through.

Another long pause.

_ "...I can take full responsibility for my actions. I can stay true to myself and my actions up to now." _

He stopped to take another deep breath, seemingly trying not to cry.

_ "Or I can run away. I can abandon this entire operation. And I…" _

He started to softly cry, failing to hold himself together.

_ "I don't know what to do, Naoto." _

  
  


After giving him ample time to compose himself, and herself ample time to compose a response, she gave him the best answer she could.

"I can't even begin to imagine the trials you're facing right now, Minato. Especially if you can't tell me everything. Do you want to know what I think you should do?"

_ "Please." _

Naoto softly smiled as she gave him her answer.

"Keep your head up, brother. You've come this far in your own beliefs, you shouldn't betray them now. After all, hardship can only forge you into a better person."

There was a long silence. Naoto was afraid that he didn't approve of her answer, but she was prepared to stand her ground.

But then, a sound came through the phone that filled Naoto with relief.

Minato was softly laughing.

_ "Using my own advice against me… You never cease to amaze me, little sister." _

"I was being serious, you know." She said, trying to keep herself from laughing with him.

_ "I know, Naoto. And I appreciate it. I think it was just what I needed to hear." _

  
  


After she got off the phone with her brother, Naoto reviewed her brother's situation and her own investigation into it in her mind.

_ Perhaps it's time to hang up the investigation. I haven't been able to find anything new recently anyway. I just hope that Minato will be alright... _

  
  


After he got off the phone with his sister, Minato made his way to the roof of the dorm.

Looking out on the night skyline of the city, he solidified his choice in his mind.

_ Thank you, Naoto. You've helped me decide that someone needs to stand up for humanity. We started this because we were the only ones who could take on the Shadows and now we're the only ones who can take that stand. _

_ I can't let this world die either. Not when you still have your whole life ahead of you. _

  
  
**Author's Note:** realizing now that I said 7 chapters instead of 8 in the last chapter. there will be 8 chapters! I apologize for messing that up! anyway, thank you for reading!


	5. Results and Resolutions

_ This city is so pretty in the winter. I'm glad I could find the time to experience it. _

Minato was on a walk through Port Island, something that had become nearly a daily occurrence for him. Normally, he would have at least a few companions. But today he insisted on walking alone.

Closing in on his destination, Minato found his picturesque view becoming more and more dirtied.

Pamphlets, graffiti, flyers everywhere. All promoting Takaya Sakaki's sick cult. Doomsday worshippers who followed their Goddess of Night, preparing themselves for the day that she would arrive and bring about The Fall.

To top it all off, The Lost, people who had become victims of Apathy Syndrome, were growing in number faster than ever before. You couldn't go anywhere without finding some poor soul in a catatonic state.

Seeing all of this made him sick to his stomach, and only strengthened Minato's resolve to face Nyx.

As he climbed the stairs to Naganaki Shrine, he ripped as many of the flyers he could see off of the walls and threw them in the trash.

He then made his way over to his favorite place to sit. A small bench in the corner of the shrine that Minato kept maintained ever since he met Akinari Kamiki.

Reminiscing for only a short moment about his time with Akinari, Minato sat down and took out his phone.

He stopped right before hitting the call button and looked up and out at the city, steeling himself for the conversation to come.

What very well may be the last conversation he ever has with his sister.

  
  


Naoto was in a hotel room, getting dressed and ready to go to the scene of the current case she was working on when her phone rang.

Expecting a work call, she cleared her throat and prepared herself. However, upon looking at the ID, Naoto found herself pleasantly surprised.

"Fancy hearing from you in such a short time span, brother." She said, clearly teasing the man.

_ "It's nice to talk to you too, Naoto. Happy new year, and I'm sorry that I'm so late on that." _

"It's more than alright, Minato. If I had to guess, you've had a lot on your plate this past month so I can't fault you for being late. I'm just glad you at least called at all. Are you feeling better? Did you come to find your answer?" Naoto asked, remembering their previous conversation.

_ "I'm feeling much better, and yes, I did find my answer. And it's all thanks to you, detective." _

Naoto let out an exasperated sigh. "I really wish you wouldn't call me that. At least wait until I've earned the title of detective!" She said in a light tone of voice.

There was a pause. It seemed her brother was lost in thought for a moment, which was an all too common thing in their recent conversations.

_ "Why wait? I know you'll do it, little sister. I'm just ahead of the game by calling you detective!"  _ Minato said in a joking tone.

However, Naoto knew there was something off about the way he said it. Almost like…

_ Almost like he has an alternative reason to call me detective? What could that be? Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not good. _

_ I hope I'm just overthinking this.  _

_ "Anyway, how has your work been treating you?" _

"Better than it was. I'm actually away on a case as we speak."

_ "Oh? Do tell me what it's about!" _

Naoto inwardly let out a giggle. "Classified information, brother. I'm afraid I can't tell you!"

_ "Aww, you really can't tell your big brother?"  _ Minato said playfully.

"Nope! Not a chance. Although, I may be inclined to spill some information if you can tell me some truths about what  _ you've  _ been up to…"

In reality, Naoto could've told her brother at least the basics of her case but she thought she would have some fun with him.

_ "Sorry, little sister. You know I can't do that. But, that was a very good try! I'm impressed. Speaking of what I've been up to, how has your 'investigation' been going?" _

Naoto paused for a moment, then sighed. "...I've decided to close it. Would you like to hear the results of my searching?"

_ "Well, of course."  _ Naoto could hear him smiling. He knew that she wouldn't be able to get to the bottom of this, and she had known  _ that  _ from the very beginning.

Naoto opened her computer, and sifted through her notes until she reached her personal investigation.

"Whatever is going on over there, it's connected to the Kirijo Group. She lives in the same dorm as you, and you visited her family home in Yakushima over the summer. But other than that? Every lead stops dead in its tracks. The Kirijo Group must be trying their hardest to cover this up. And recently, the head passed away from 'sudden illness'. I believe that to be another cover-up."

There was a pause, before Minato whistled.

_ "I gotta say, Naoto, you discovered more than I thought you would. Although that may have been because of a coincidental slip-up on my part."  _ That last part made Naoto let out a little giggle.

_ "However, I have only one question. If you figured out that the Kirijo Group was connected to all of this, why didn't you take the evidence straight to them and get your answers there?" _ Minato asked, thinking he knew the answer she would give.

Naoto took a moment to formulate a sentence in her head before answering.

"...If I'm to be entirely honest, I planned to. I knew that there was very little chance that I would get answers, but I was willing to try. But before I could, we had our last phone call. And I… I decided to just have faith in you. I didn't know if I wanted the answers after that. So, I hung up the investigation."

Minato paused. He found himself not knowing how to respond.

_ "I… no, thank you, Naoto. This past year has been one of the best and one of the worst of my life. I promise that one day I'll tell you everything. Trust me, they're some crazy stories." _

"...I'll hold you to that, brother."

  
  


As the minutes passed, Minato listened to his sister talk about all sorts of things that she had been doing in her day to day life. He seldom spoke of what he had been doing, he just wanted to hear her.

Until, she abruptly stopped.

_ "Oh no. No, no, no!" _

"Naoto? What's going on?" Minato asked, his mind jumping to impossible conclusions.

_ "I lost track of time! I'm going to be late to the scene, I need to go! It's been nice talking to you, please call again soon-" _

"Wait!" Minato called out, louder and more desperately than he had intended. He was worried that she would hang up before he could say the most important thing that he needed to.

_ "Yes, brother? You didn't need to yell…"  _ He could hear her cringing.

Minato took a deep breath.

"I… I love you, Naoto. Don't ever forget that."

  
  


**Author's Note:** oh man, we're really getting into it now. thanks for reading!

  
  



	6. Tranquility and Trepidation

Finishing what he considered to be his final project, Minato closed his laptop. Moving to sit on his bed, he took a moment to assess his situation.

_ Turns out that taking that stand was the right choice. _

They had done it. The Dark Hour was over. Humanity lived on. But, at the cost of his friends' memories of their endeavors. And…

Minato looked down at his hand. He had performed a miracle that night, and it was thanks to that miracle that any of them were even alive.

Opening and closing his hand in a shaky movement, he knew that he wasn't long for this world. It's another miracle entirely that his body lasted this long with nothing but sheer willpower driving him.

Minato had used the ultimate power that night, and sacrificed his soul to seal Nyx away. Even now, he could feel his soul in that far off place.

_...But I don't regret it. This was the price to give my loved ones a world to live in, and if that means that I cease to be here then so be it. _

He was only persevering until now because he had things to do. "I"s to dot, "T"s to cross, and promises to keep.

And now, he sat on the night before Graduation Day with only one thing left to do. One thing left before he could leave this earth with peace of mind.

  
  


Naoto's night had been completely normal. She was, for the first time in a while, not working on a case. Instead, she spent her day at the Shirogane estate.

As the sun had started to set, Naoto found herself tinkering with a digital watch. She had found a broken one lying around, and was trying to repair it. While also adding a few new additions, of course.

Eventually, before she knew it, the moon had risen. She put her tools down, and went through her usual routine before bed.

It was then, after settling in and being on the cusp of sleep, that her phone rang.

Wondering who in God's good name could be calling at such an hour, Naoto stifled a groan as she rolled over and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She said, more of a grunt than an actual greeting.

_ "Hey there, Naoto." _

Naoto perked up.

"Minato? Why are you calling so late, is something wrong?" Naoto asked, more curious than worried.

_ "No, everything's alright. I just wanted to talk to you, that's all." _ Her brother said simply. She hadn't caught it when she first answered the phone, but something didn't seem right about the way he was speaking.

_ "Did I wake you up?" _

"No, it's alright. I hadn't gotten to sleep yet."

As the gears in her mind began turning again, she realized what was off.

He was forcing himself to sound normal, but she could hear what seemed to be weariness behind every word.

"Are… Are you alright, Minato? You sound tired." Naoto hoped it had a normal explanation, perhaps he had been working on something for the past few nights, or maybe he just wasn't getting enough sleep.

But, as Naoto was painfully aware of at this point, nothing seemed to be that simple anymore.

It didn't help that he was taking a long time to answer.

_ "...Yeah. I've been helping out around the school and the dorm recently. Graduation Day is tomorrow." _

"Ah, I see…" Naoto tried to have faith in her brother, but she always had that feeling in the back of her mind that told her that something was not right.

_ "Anyway, how have you been? I know we haven't spoken since the new year…" _

Naoto pushed her worries aside for now. She just wanted to have a normal conversation with her brother.

"Well, I've actually been back home for a few days now. I've been working case after case, while also balancing school work, and I decided I needed some time off…"

  
  


Naoto talked about all sorts of things. Various cases she had closed, co-workers she had met both good and bad, friends she had made in her class. And as the call went on, she found herself starting to nod off.

Eventually, unable to stifle it, she let out a big yawn.

_ "Tired, huh?"  _ Minato said, hints of amusement in his voice.

"Yes. I should probably be getting to bed soon, if that's alright."

_ "Actually…" _

Naoto paused, waiting for what her brother had to say.

He let out a sigh.

_ "I want you to know that I'm proud of you, Naoto. And I think Mom and Dad would be too. Also…" _

That feeling in Naoto's mind began to grow more and more. She didn't like where this conversation seemed to be going.

_ "I won't always be around for you. I won't always be here to encourage you, or support you. And when I'm not, I want you to know that I'll still have faith in you and your abilities." _

She had alarm bells ringing in her mind.

"Minato, what… What are you talking about? You're starting to scare me… What brought this on? Why are you talking like this is the last time we ever will…?" Naoto's questions grew more panicked. She knew somewhere in her mind that this line of thinking was irrational. There's no way this could be the last time. But, she couldn't shake that feeling that something wasn't right.

Minato paused. A long pause that didn't fill Naoto with confidence for what he would say next.

_ "...I just had a bad dream the other night. That's all. I'm sorry if I scared you. Are you going to be headed to bed now?" _

Naoto's heart screamed at her to not hang up. Keep him on the call, don't let him hang up.

But her mind told her to have faith in her brother.

"Yes… I think I will. It was nice talking with you again, Minato. Please call again soon." She added on at the end, her heart looking for some relief from this anxiety attack.

_ "...I will. Sweet dreams, Naoto. I love you." _

But even after she hung up the phone and rested her head on her pillow, she still couldn't shake that feeling.

  
  


**Author's Note:** hey there. this will be the last author's note of the story. if all goes well, the final chapters will release simultaneously either tomorrow or the next day. this story truly has been a blast to write, and I can't wait to publish the ending. thank you for reading!


	7. Anguish

Naoto found out the next day.

When her grandfather broke the news to her, there were so many things that flew through her mind at once. Questions with no answers, the beginnings of the pieces being put together, and feelings upon feelings. Disbelief. Fear. Denial. Resentment at herself. Horrified realization that the creeping dread and trepidation she had felt during her last conversation with him had been justified. Disgust with herself for not following her gut reaction in those moments. The realization that the last conversation she had with him was the _last_ conversation she would ever have with him.

In the matter of moments, Naoto found her mind overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings. And as they all battled it out for dominance, one feeling trumped all of them. And just as suddenly as they had come, they left. Leaving her mind crystal clear with one emotion that overwhelmed the rest as the full weight of what had happened set in.

Anguish.

* * *

Naoto spent the days leading up to her brother's funeral outwardly despondent. They were a blur to her. She knew that she had eaten something at some point. She must have. She just couldn't remember when.

Outwardly despondent. But on the inside, she was almost obsessively trying to understand.

_He passed in his sleep. There was nothing wrong with him physically. He was a healthy seventeen year old boy. So how? How could he have just gone to sleep and not woken up…? It doesn't make logical sense!_

She ran mentally in circles for what seemed to be an eternity. She had to know. She had to figure it out. She had enough of the pieces of the puzzle that she _knew_ that she could work it out.

But she never would. Because she didn't have anywhere near enough of the pieces.

Eventually, she moved from trying to find the answer in the facts and onto trying to find the answer in the words he had left her with.

She replayed the conversations she had with him in her mind, starting from when he left to…

_...To our last conversation._

Being reminded was a moment of clarity. Something to snap her out of "detective mode". She was treating this like a case, and the clarity acted as a reminder to her.

Right now, she wasn't The Detective Prince.

She was just Naoto Shirogane. A sad, grieving girl who had just lost one of the most important people in her life. And it was only natural to not understand. But knowing that didn't mean it would be any easier to deal with.

* * *

_"I won't always be here to encourage you, or support you."_

When she re-approached the conversations without the guise of the Detective Prince, she came to terms with something that she must have always known.

_"Why wait? I'm just ahead of the game by calling you detective!"_

He had been splicing hints into their conversations. Things that he must have known she would pick up on.

_"...I've been backed into a corner. I've been faced with a decision that has no good options, and I don't know what to do."_

Rare moments of weakness.

_"I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, Naoto."_

Sincere thoughts, lacking his signature jokes and snark.

_"I love you, Naoto. Don't ever forget that."_

She realized that he knew. He knew that the last conversation they had would be the last they would ever have.

_Perhaps he didn't know which one would be his last one until the last one._

Her first reaction was to kick herself for not realizing it before. But, somewhere deep down, she knew that wasn't true. She had known. She just didn't want to consider it to be true.

And coming to this realization, she could feel herself begin to spiral downward once again. Only being able to think one question.

Why?

* * *

The funeral was a small affair. They'd decided to bury him on the estate's land, with their mother and father, and only a small handful of family friends that had met him had come. Naoto spent a large portion of it silently sitting near his cremated remains, only really speaking to greet and thank people for coming.

She was mentally worn down. She couldn't remember getting decent sleep since he had passed.

She hadn't come to understand anything. The doctors still didn't understand the how and why. She was beginning to believe she never would.

Until a set of black cars had come in and parked near the event.

_...Who could that be? I thought everyone had already arrived…_

Her grandfather had gotten up to approach the newcomers as a large group of young adults exited and approached.

Naoto didn't really recognize any of them from afar, but she could tell there was six people who looked to be in high school and one young boy.

As she approached, not far behind her grandfather, she realized that she knew who the woman leading them was.

"Miss Kirijo, thank you for coming. It's good to see you again, even under such unfortunate circumstances…"

Naoto could barely hear what her grandfather was saying. Mitsuru Kirijo. She could only assume that the rest of the group were the other members of Minato's dorm.

"Yes, thank you for indulging our request to come. I realize that it was on such short notice…" Mitsuru said. Naoto wouldn't catch the sorrow lacing her voice.

Naoto felt hints of something ugly begin to bubble up inside of her. She clenched her fists, trying to maintain her composure.

"It's quite alright. If Minato trusted you with his identity then you must have been true friends to him. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

"Thank you, sir." An unknown man with silver hair said before bowing. The rest of the group followed suit.

"Ah yes," the older Shirogane said as he turned to his granddaughter. "This is Naoto. Minato's sister."

He gestured for her to introduce herself, but Naoto couldn't control herself. She needed to know the answer to the question burning her mind.

She stepped up, head tilted downward, and asked a simple question in a small voice.

"...Do you know why?"

She looked up to come face to face with Mitsuru, who had an unreadable expression.

That was enough. Stricken with grief, fury, and the memory of her final conversation with him, Naoto verbally lashed out.

"I asked you a question! Do you know why my brother had to die?! Could you even tell something was _wrong?!_ I only spoke with him over the phone and I could clearly hear that something was wrong! And if you did know, why didn't you _do_ something?!" Naoto spat out, her volume rapidly increasing as she threw vitriolic blame at the group.

Her grandfather, shocked at seeing his granddaughter with the most life she'd had in her since he broke the news, tried to calm her down. "Come now, Naoto. There's no reason to be-"

She wasn't having any of it. "No! I need to know!" She said, her voice cracking with emotion.

There was a long silence. No one spoke. It was only broken by the sound of crying.

A small girl with teal hair had broken down, falling into another for support.

This was another moment of clarity for Naoto. As she looked upon the group with a clear mind, she realized that almost all of them had begun to cry.

And it was at this moment that Naoto came to understand the scariest thing about her brother's death.

Even his closest friends didn't understand why he was gone.


	8. Promises

Naoto Shirogane wouldn't come to understand her brother's death. Even long after coming to terms with his passing. But that doesn't mean that she stopped trying.

After his funeral, Naoto reopened her personal case on Minato's situation. Her line of reasoning was that if she could figure out what he was up against in Iwatodai, she might be able to uncover the reason behind his death.

Over the course of a year, Naoto would uncover more and more about the incidents unfolding in Port Island in the time that Minato was living there. Learning about Apathy Syndrome and it's sudden disappearance, a doomsday cult that worshipped a goddess that was said to bring about the end of the world, and a strange explosion at a Kirijo Group lab in 1999.

Naoto felt like she was inching ever closer to her answer. But, her investigation had to be put on hold when she was transferred out to a small town to handle a murder case.

It ended up being the toughest case she had ever taken on.

And over the course of the nearly year long case, Naoto found herself learning more and more about how truly strange some events could be.

A supernatural murder case. A world within the TV. Manifesting the power of one's mind. A goddess hellbent on granting the so-called "will of humanity" by ending the world.

All of these only motivated her even further to find her answers. To reach the truth.

And it all reminded her of something that her brother had said to her back then.

_ "Something tells me that if I did tell you everything, you'd think I was going mad. The truth really is stranger than fiction, little sister." _

  
  


Hot off of the Inaba case, Naoto intended to take some time off from her work with the police to shift focus to her personal investigation.

That was until she was approached by an officer of Public Safety, who had a job for her.

Not only did he know of Personas and Shadows, but he gave her the smoking gun to her persona investigation.

The Kirijo Group lab explosion was caused by the Group's experiments on Shadows. In the ten years since, they had been enacting "clean-up operations".

Her job was to investigate a secret group within the police force known as the Shadow Operatives and their leader under suspicion of using high school students from a Kirijo owned high school to aid in their clean-up operations.

The school in question was Gekkoukan High School. And the leader of the Shadow Operatives was one Mitsuru Kirijo. A Persona-user.

And all of a sudden, Naoto had the pieces of the puzzle that she was missing those years ago. And they were beginning to line up.

  
  


Naoto came face to face with Mitsuru Kirijo for the first time since her brother's funeral in a limousine transporting important cargo from Iwatodai to a distant facility.

It had been Naoto's first time in this city since she was very young, and it felt strange being here after doing so much research about it.

Naoto was already waiting in the Limousine when Mitsuru entered.

"Hello. My name is Naoto Shirogane, and I'll be acting as the police observer today." Naoto held a professional tone and expression as she introduced herself.

Mitsuru looked shocked for a fraction of a moment before she hid it away. "It's… Good to see you again, Shirogane. I wasn't expecting our observer to be you."

"I wasn't expecting to take this job. However, I am happy to be working with you. I would like to speak with you once this is over, though. I have a few questions that I believe you can answer for me." Naoto said, maintaining her professional conduct. She was on the job right now, she could wait a little longer for her answers.

What Naoto didn't know was that this simple job would quickly spiral out of control. Immediately following the loading of the cargo onto a plane, there was a hijacking that served as a cover while another party stole the cargo. This was just the beginning of another incident that would begin within Inaba involving the Shadows, and a very long Golden Week for the young Shirogane.

Following a long and convoluted plot full of various anomalies within Inaba and the TV World that required the cooperation of the Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team, Naoto found herself within her Inaba apartment.

It was a week after the previous case had ended, and Naoto had plenty of time to think.

She had ended up formally meeting each Shadow Operative, who had been just who Naoto had expected. Each one had been a friend of Minato. Yet another piece.

All Naoto needed now was the full story. Which, she had intended to get today.

Soon after the events of Golden Week, she was approached by Aigis. An Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon turned Shadow Operative, who had been particularly close with her brother in the time she had known him. Aigis asked if they could arrange a meeting, as she had something very important to give to Naoto.

And so, Naoto anxiously waited for her to arrive. This was it. This was what she had been searching for. So why was it making her feel this nervous?

The doorbell rang. Naoto proceeded to let her awaited guests in.

"Hello again, Naoto-san. I hope I am not a disturbance today?" Aigis said, still making Naoto wonder how an A.I. could sound, look, and act so human.

"No, it's quite alright. What was it that you needed to give to me?" She said in a professional tone to mask the nerves that were present within her.

Aigis looked down for a moment, before lifting her arm, opening a small hatch on her wrist, and removing a flash drive.

"I… I've been holding onto this ever since Minato passed. He entrusted it in my care with specific instructions." She said wistfully.

"He told me: 'Sometime in the future, you'll meet someone for who this flash drive belongs to. And if you think she's trustworthy enough to have the information in this drive, then I want you to give her a message alongside the drive.' He meant for this to go to you. It was one of the last things he ever asked of me."

Naoto stared at the drive in her hand, in completely disbelief. In a controlled, quiet voice she asked Aigis, "...What was the message?"

Aigis moved to press a button on the opposite wrist from where the flash drive came from. 

Aigis opened her mouth and closed her eyes. And from her voice box, the message played.

_ "Beginning playback." _

_ "Hey there, little sister. I don't know when you'll hear this, but I'm sorry that I couldn't give you this message myself." _

It took every fiber of Naoto's being to stay composed as she heard her brother's voice for the first time since his passing.

_ "If I know you, you've been looking for the answers to my death since you learned of it. Maybe you've found them by now. If you have or not, it doesn't matter. Contained within this thumb drive is my final present to you, detective. When you're ready, continue to the next file. Keep your head up, Naoto. I love you." _

When the message ended, there was a silence that hung in the air for a moment. Naoto, barely able to speak steadily, asked one final thing.

"Is there anything else?"

Aigis smiled. "Only one more thing." She handed Naoto a piece of paper with a phone number on it.

"If you have any further questions about anything, call this number. It's Mitsuru-san's, she told me that she will put aside any time to answer your questions and that you should 'think of it as a thank you for everything he did for us.'"

"...Okay." Naoto said, barely able to hold herself together.

Aigis stood up and put her hand on Naoto's shoulder. "I'll be going now. Take care, Naoto-san." She said, smiling.

As Aigis turned around, Naoto spoke up. "Thank you… Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me." She said as a stream of tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Aigis just simply said "Thank you for allowing me to grant his final request." Before taking her leave.

Naoto took a moment to compose herself before walking to her bedroom and putting the drive into her computer.

As she loaded up the next message, she took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she may hear.

_ "As of the time of me recording this, I have finished everything I had left to do. I know that I'm not long for this world. This is my retelling of how this happened, and why. I hope you're cozy, because this is going to be a long one. I told you that I would tell you everything someday, remember? And I meant it when I said that they're some crazy stories…" _

For all of the composure that she could've had in that moment, it was immediately gone. Naoto's final walls broke, and her tears flowed freely.

As she listened to story after story, her puzzle became a full picture. She came to a complete understanding of  _ everything _ . Hell, some may have said that he didn't need to be as thorough as he was in his explanations. But Naoto loved every moment of it.

And when it was over, when she had heard of his battles against the twelve full moon shadows, heard of his forays into the Tower of Demise, his battle against the Goddess of Night, and the sacrifice he made to ensure that Naoto and his dearest friends lived, Naoto finally understood.

He had given her everything she needed.

He had kept his promise.


End file.
